EP.082 | The Demon Who Fed on Toxic Shame: A C-PTSD Lens on K-Pop Demon Hunters

EP.082 | The Demon Who Fed on Toxic Shame: A C-PTSD Lens on K-Pop Demon Hunters

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode mentions trauma and references to suicidal ideation. Please take care of yourself. Have you seen K-Pop Demon Hunters? This award-winning animated film is stunning, but what stopped me cold was how accurately it portrays toxic shame: where it comes from, how it's used to control us, and how we begin to heal. In this episode, I break down key scenes through a C-PTSD lens, exploring the connection between toxic shame, the inner critic, narcissistic abuse, and what it looks like to reclaim your voice. ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 06:39 Music in Healing 08:52 Shame & Its Origins 14:50 K-Pop Clip Analysis Begins 17:37 Shame Steals Rest & Joy 19:21 C-PTSD Thieves of Joy 19:48 The Burden of Toxic Shame 22:12 Rumi's Shame 23:50 Voice & Value 26:40 Shame as Control 29:04 Hope vs. Shame 30:45 Healing Through Compassion 32:35 Facing the Past 35:00 Acceptance & Vulnerability 37:09 Fear of Rejection 38:10 Toxic Shame Explained 39:29 The Inner Critic 41:44 Effects of Toxic Shame 43:16 Gray vs. Dark Gray Rocking 46:50 Empowerment Through Music 49:52 Healing from Shame 56:37 Healing Invitation 58:23 Closing 📚 Resources mentioned: * 🎬 K-Pop Demon Hunters [https://www.netflix.com/title/81498621] (watch on Netflix) * 📖 Healing the Shame That Binds You [https://www.johnbradshaw.com/books/healing-the-shame-that-binds-you] by John Bradshaw * 🌐 Brené Brown [https://brenebrown.com/] shame vs. guilt research * 📖 Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving [https://www.pete-walker.com/complex_ptsd_book.html] by Pete Walker * 🌐 Dr. Ramani Durvasula [https://doctor-ramani.com/] narcissistic abuse expert * 📲 RRP Therapists [https://www.instagram.com/rrptherapists/?hl=en] on Instagram * 📺 Ruri Ohama [https://www.youtube.com/@ruriohama] ADHD Notion system (YouTube) 🆘 If you or someone you know is struggling: 🌍 Worldwide crisis support: findahelpline.com [http://findahelpline.com] 🇺🇸 US only — call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) ---------------------------------------- ✨ Stay connected with Hello Trauma Brain: 🎧 Listen on all platforms → hellotraumabrain.riverside.com [http://hellotraumabrain.riverside.com] 🔗 All links in one place → bio.site/hellotraumabrain [http://bio.site/hellotraumabrain] ⭐ Subscribe + leave a 5-star review wherever you listen 📱 Follow @hellotraumabrain on social → Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/hellotraumabrain] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hellotraumabrain] ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and hit the bell 💛 Donate via PayPal → paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising [http://paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising] 📧 Email Raysa → hellotraumabrain@gmail.com [hellotraumabrain@gmail.com]

EP.081 | Rumination, Trauma & OCD: Inside Rumination-Focused ERP with Dr. Michael J. Greenberg

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michael J. Greenberg, licensed clinical psychologist and the director of OCD Associates, to talk about something I've lived with since childhood but only recently learned has a name: rumination OCD. For a long time, I thought rumination was something that happened to me, a side effect of trauma. But Michael's work helped me see that rumination is actually something we do, and if it's something we do, it's something we can stop. We talk about what rumination is, how it differs from intrusive thoughts, the six engagement patterns that keep rumination going, and how attachment and complex trauma can intensify OCD loops. This conversation opened my eyes to how treating OCD requires different tools than treating C-PTSD, and I hope it offers you the same clarity it gave me. Chapters: 10:49 Conversation with Dr. Greenberg begins 13:02 Understanding Rumination in OCD 14:11 The Control of Rumination 17:08 The Complexity of Stopping Rumination 19:56 The Role of Core Fears in OCD 35:49 Core Fears and Emotional Conflicts 37:37 The Role of Attachment in OCD 52:06 Dependency and Control in Treatment 58:11 Inner Child Work and Its Challenges 01:02:48 Understanding Rumination and Compulsions 01:04:13 The Six Types of Rumination 01:07:57 Navigating Emotional Flashbacks and Feelings 01:24:22 Healing Invitation Connect with Dr. Michael J. Greenberg: * Website [https://ocdassociates.com/] * Email: michael@drmichaeljgreenberg.com [michael@drmichaeljgreenberg.com] Resources Mentioned: * Dr. Elna Yadin [https://iocdf.org/providers/yadin-elna/] * David Malan’s book Individual Psychotherapy and the Science of Psychodynamics [https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.1201/b13307/individual-psychotherapy-science-psychodynamics-2ed-david-malan-lynn-parker] * Dr. Michael Alcée’s Website [https://michaelalcee.com/] ✨ Stay connected with Hello Trauma Brain: 🎧 Listen on all platforms → hellotraumabrain.riverside.com [http://hellotraumabrain.riverside.com] 🔗 All links in one place → bio.site/hellotraumabrain [http://bio.site/hellotraumabrain] ⭐ Subscribe + leave a 5-star review wherever you listen 📱 Follow @hellotraumabrain on social ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube and hit the bell 💛 Donate via PayPal → paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising [http://paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising] 📧 Email Raysa → hellotraumabrain@gmail.com [hellotraumabrain@gmail.com]

EP.080 | Breaking the Silence: Emotional Incest & Sexual Assault | SAAM

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and in this episode I share my personal experiences as a survivor of sexual abuse and emotional incest. For a long time, I didn't have names for what happened to me. I just knew something felt wrong. ---------------------------------------- CHAPTERS * 00:00 Sexual Abuse Awareness Month * 05:20 Trauma Anniversaries * 09:40 Emotional Incest * 25:27 Consent and Boundaries * 33:21 Spectrum of Sexual Abuse * 36:13 Grooming and Why Survivors Stay Silent * 40:44 Resources and Healing ---------------------------------------- RESOURCES * RAINN Hotline [http://rainn.org] — 1-800-656-HOPE * Crisis Text Line [https://www.crisistextline.org/] — Text HOME to 741741 * SNAP [http://snapnetwork.org] * Psychology Today Therapist Finder [http://psychologytoday.com/us/therapists] * YWCA [https://ywcalancaster.org/] (not YMCA 😅) * Incest Aware Alliance [https://www.instagram.com/iaalliance/] * Healing and C-PTSD Foundation [https://www.instagram.com/healing.and.cptsd.foundation/] * Silently Seduced — Kenneth Adams [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Silently-Seduced/Kenneth-M-Adams/9780757315879] * Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents — Lindsay C. Gibson [https://www.newharbinger.com/9781648482649/adult-survivors-of-emotionally-abusive-parents/] * The Emotional Incest Syndrome — Patricia Love [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/103844/the-emotional-incest-syndrome-by-dr-patricia-love-with-jo-robinson/] * Fawning — Dr. Ingrid Clayton [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/779579/fawning-by-dr-ingrid-clayton/] * Perry Power on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamperrypower/] * Brad Shore on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@BradShore] * EP.064 with Dr. Ingrid Clayton [https://youtu.be/hCZOlAQ7MOg] * RAYE — Life Boat [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOs_LvCMpXI] * Redd & The Paper Flowers [https://www.reddandthepaperflowers.com/] ---------------------------------------- ✨ Stay connected: 📱 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/hellotraumabrain/] 🌐 hellotraumabrain.riverside.com [http://hellotraumabrain.riverside.com] 🌐 All platforms via Bio Site [https://bio.site/hellotraumabrain] (quick links to every player 🙂) 💛 Donate via PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising] 📧 hellotraumabrain@gmail.com [hellotraumabrain@gmail.com]

EP.079 | Unlearning What Keeps You Stuck | Learned Distress with Sara Avery

Welcome to Hello Trauma Brain, a podcast where I share my personal journey of living with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and the tools and practices I'm using to heal, recover, and grow. 🎙️ In this episode, Sara Avery, executive director of the Learned Distress Removal Process, joins me to discuss why healing from complex trauma can feel so difficult, even when we're doing all the "right" things. Sara Avery shares her 25-year journey helping people heal from complex trauma through the Learned Distress Removal Process Sara explains what Learned Distress is, how it gets created during childhood, and why many survivors keep ending up in the same kinds of relationships and situations. We explore the six Learned Distress types (Idealist, Perfectionist, Caregiver, Optimist, Defeatist, and Dictator) and what core well-being looks like when it's uncovered for each type. Sara shares the story behind the development of the Learned Distress Removal Process and her collaboration with founder Mimi Herrmann. Our conversation touches on the connection between emotional and physical health, the role of sleep in healing, how to begin accessing your core well-being, and so much more. This episode's healing invitation encourages you to reflect on which Learned Distress patterns resonated with you and notice what comes up as you sit with this new language Connect with Today's Guest, Sara Avery Learned Distress Removal Process website: https://www.LearnedDistress.com [https://www.LearnedDistress.com] Free Learned Distress Type Report: https://LearnedDistress.com/SQ/ [https://LearnedDistress.com/SQ/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraavery_ldr_process/ [https://www.instagram.com/saraavery_ldr_process/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearnedDistress [https://www.facebook.com/LearnedDistress] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnedDistress [https://www.youtube.com/@LearnedDistress] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sara.avery?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@sara.avery?lang=en] 📖 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Healing from Trauma 09:34 The Connection Between Emotional and Physical Health 12:18 The Role of Sleep in Healing 15:31 The Process of Change in Trauma Recovery 18:22 Understanding Learned Distress 21:20 Resistance to Change in Trauma Work 24:24 Core Well-Being vs. Learned Distress 27:21 The Impact of Early Experiences on Trauma 29:50 Survival Mechanisms and Trauma Responses 36:42 Understanding Learned Distress 38:13 Types of Learned Distress 46:23 The Impact of Relationships on Recovery 57:46 The Journey to Core Well-Being 01:09:35 - Healing Invitation ✨ Stay connected with Hello Trauma Brain: 📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellotraumabrain/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.instagram.com/hellotraumabrain/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-trauma-brain/id1701533871?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-trauma-brain/id1701533871?utm_source=chatgpt.com] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HelloTraumaBrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.youtube.com/@HelloTraumaBrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SmkhdauRaPVQVqfLH3vs7?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://open.spotify.com/show/2SmkhdauRaPVQVqfLH3vs7?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/30355338-f787-4305-b06b-36c4beec07e0/hello-trauma-brain?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/30355338-f787-4305-b06b-36c4beec07e0/hello-trauma-brain?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 💛 If the podcast has been meaningful to you and you'd like to support it, you can make a donation (any amount is so appreciated!) here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising?utm_source=chatgpt.com]. Thank you for helping me keep this space going. 🔗 More links: 🌐 Official Bio Site: https://bio.site/hellotraumabrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://bio.site/hellotraumabrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com] (quick links to all platforms 🙂) 🌐 Official Website: https://www.raysamichelle.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.raysamichelle.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] (currently under construction) 📧 You can reach me at: hellotraumabrain@gmail.com [hellotraumabrain@gmail.com] Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed psychologist or mental health professional. This podcast is simply me sharing my own journey. It's not meant to replace professional care. If you think you might have Complex PTSD or any mental health condition, please reach out to a qualified provider.

EP.078 | Home After Emotional Abuse with Dr. Sherrie Campbell

Welcome to Hello Trauma Brain, a podcast where I share my personal journey of living with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and the tools and practices I'm using to heal, recover, and grow. 🎙️ In this episode, Dr. Sherrie Campbell shares her personal experience of recognizing emotional abuse from her own parent and the tools that helped her cope and grieve as she began to distance herself. Dr. Sherrie defines emotionally abusive parents using her DNA framework (Do Not Abuse) and explains how abusive parents offer conditional kindness instead of unconditional love. The concept of defensive hypervigilance trauma is explored, along with "toxic parent abuse victim syndrome" and how these patterns show up for survivors. Dr. Sherrie discusses rebellious hope, a transformative alternative to the toxic hope that keeps survivors stuck in abusive systems. The episode closes with reflections on embodying healing traits, advice to younger selves, and where listeners can connect with Dr. Sherrie's work. 📖 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Sherry Campbell 09:42 Recognizing Toxic Family Dynamics 12:00 The Impact of Post-Separation Abuse 14:21 Defining Emotional Abuse 18:11 Understanding Defensive Hypervigilance Trauma 21:27 Exploring Toxic Parent Abuse Victim Syndrome 25:38 Transforming Defense Mechanisms into Superpowers 27:23 Reclaiming Hope and Healing 27:51 Rebellious Hope: A New Perspective 30:54 The Journey of Writing and Healing 36:59 Introducing 'You Are Home': A Transformative Book 40:05 Understanding Estrangement: Types and Misconceptions 44:04 Moments of Truth: Advice to My Younger Self 46:44 Healing Invitation References EP.064 | Reclaiming Fawning While Believing Me with Dr. Ingrid Clayton: youtube.com/watch?v=hCZOlAQ7MOg&feature=youtu.be [http://youtube.com/watch?v=hCZOlAQ7MOg&feature=youtu.be] Connect with Today's Guest (Dr. Sherrie Campbell) Official Website: https://drsherriecampbell.com/ [https://drsherriecampbell.com/] Sherapy Sessions: Cutting Toxic Family Ties Podcast: https://drsherriecampbell.com/cutting-toxic-family-ties-podcast/ [https://drsherriecampbell.com/cutting-toxic-family-ties-podcast/] Not all parents are good | Dr. Sherrie Campbell | TEDxDanville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deyHwDkG7oc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deyHwDkG7oc] X (formerly known as Twitter): https://x.com/Dr_Sherrie [https://x.com/Dr_Sherrie] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrieCampbellPhD [https://www.facebook.com/SherrieCampbellPhD] YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeRnhojed-YbXJO8otIXe4g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeRnhojed-YbXJO8otIXe4g] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.sherrie [https://www.instagram.com/dr.sherrie] Pre-Order her upcoming book You Are Home: Heal from Family Trauma, Establish Boundaries, and Find a Place of Peace and Safety (available April 1, 2026): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-are-home-sherrie-campbell-phd/1147948122 [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-are-home-sherrie-campbell-phd/1147948122] ✨ Stay connected with Hello Trauma Brain: 📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellotraumabrain/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.instagram.com/hellotraumabrain/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-trauma-brain/id1701533871?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-trauma-brain/id1701533871?utm_source=chatgpt.com] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HelloTraumaBrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.youtube.com/@HelloTraumaBrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SmkhdauRaPVQVqfLH3vs7?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://open.spotify.com/show/2SmkhdauRaPVQVqfLH3vs7?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/30355338-f787-4305-b06b-36c4beec07e0/hello-trauma-brain?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/30355338-f787-4305-b06b-36c4beec07e0/hello-trauma-brain?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 💛 If the podcast has been meaningful to you and you'd like to support it, you can make a donation (any amount is so appreciated!) here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rmichellerising?utm_source=chatgpt.com]. Thank you for helping me keep this space going. 🔗 More links: 🌐 Official Bio Site: https://bio.site/hellotraumabrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://bio.site/hellotraumabrain?utm_source=chatgpt.com] (quick links to all platforms 🙂) 🌐 Official Website: https://www.raysamichelle.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.raysamichelle.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] (currently under construction) 📧 You can reach me at: hellotraumabrain@gmail.com [hellotraumabrain@gmail.com] Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed psychologist or mental health professional. This podcast is simply me sharing my own journey. It's not meant to replace professional care. If you think you might have Complex PTSD or any mental health condition, please reach out to a qualified provider.